The NFL will donate more than $1 million to the American Cancer Society as a result of this year's A Crucial Catch breast cancer awareness campaign, it was announced Tuesday. Funds will support both national and local breast cancer initiatives of the American Cancer Society, which has a presence in more than 5,100 communities nationwide.

A Crucial Catch, in collaboration with the American Cancer Society, encourages women 40 and older to get an annual mammogram. This year's NFL donation is comprised of profits raised through the auction of special pink items-many of them game-worn-at NFL Auction; the sale of pink items on NFLShop.com; and pink items sold in stadium retail stores and at Dick's Sporting Goods, Hatworld and Lids. In addition, many NFL sponsors and licensees also contributed a percentage of their sales of pink items in October to the cause.

"We are extremely grateful to the NFL and its players for providing breast cancer and the American Cancer Society with such a visible awareness platform, and for the league's generous donation to the Society's ongoing involvement in so many local and national breast cancer initiatives," said Scott Bennett, American Cancer Society national vice president, marketing. "We greatly appreciate the NFL's strong commitment to this cause."

The NFL and NFL Players Association supported October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with their largest on-field presence to date. Tanya Snyder, wife of Redskins owner Dan Snyder, and Susie Spanos, wife of Chargers president and CEO Dean Spanos, served as spokeswomen for the campaign, helping to spread the word on a cause that hits close to home for both of them.

Games throughout October featured pink cleats, gloves, wristbands, chin straps, sideline caps, helmet decals, eye shield decals, captains' patches, sideline towels, quarterback towels and footballs with pink ribbon decals. Breast cancer awareness games also featured on-field pink ribbon stencils, A Crucial Catch wall banners and pink goal post padding in end zones. In addition, two national landmarks, the Empire State Building in New York City and Niagara Falls near Buffalo, N.Y., were illuminated pink in early October to commemorate the NFL, its teams' and its players' efforts to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Game-worn pink merchandise and footballs were autographed post-game and auctioned at NFL Auction. All NFL Auction proceeds during the month of October benefitted the American Cancer Society and team charities.

NFL Players also raised money for breast cancer awareness with collective and individual efforts across the country. Through the NFL Players Association's One Team for the Cure and their own foundations, players hosted a variety of events and fundraisers in their team cities and home communities.

Many teams extended the national platform with local efforts and charitable donations; teams designated home games in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and planned special in-stadium or pregame events with local organizations.